How To Deal With Crying While Singing

(Last Updated On: April 1, 2023)

Music has an almost irresistible way of entwining with human emotions and triggering powerful reactions that can be overwhelming. Music appeals mostly to the ears, but it has an intriguing ability to infiltrate the other senses, as well. The way that music compels people to cry is a fascinating phenomenon that continues to leave the world baffled.

Why Do People Start to Cry While Singing?

People start to cry during their singing performance for a variety of reasons. It is hard to pinpoint one specific cause. Belting out the lyrics to an emotional song can grip the singer’s emotions because music has a way of connecting with the heart. Musical lyrics are often based on topics that people are passionate about. Passion has a funny way of always causing tears, whether they be happy tears or Sorrowful tears. It is not clear whether people connect with the song’s lyrics of a song more or if they connect with the melody more. Either way, the emotional connection music can cause in people while they sing can be overwhelming. Many singers bring brought to tears by the songs they sing is not an uncommon occurrence, even in the professional music industry.

Crying Doesn’t Always Signify Sad Emotions

Human Beings are somewhat odd creatures because we tend to cry when we are happy, and we cry when we are sad. Tears can start to overflow when one becomes overcome with emotion, no matter if the emotion is a sad or happy one. Many people become overwhelmed with emotions while they are singing due to their connection to the song. The melody or song lyrics could trigger memories in the singer that cause them to become overcome with joy or sadness. While it may seem strange, people can experience feelings of euphoria while they are crying. Music can invoke a wide variety of feelings in people. Just because someone is crying while singing does not mean that they are sad. The person could simply have become fulfilled with such strong emotions that they had no other way to express than with tears.

It Does Affect Your Performance Quality 

Many performers find themselves crying while they sing because of their true connection to the music. However, crying while performing can have the power to affect your singing negatively. While crying when singing is common among performers, your audience needs to be able to understand the lyrics. If your singing is preventing you from singing clearly, your audience won’t be able to connect with the music the same way as if they could understand the words.

When you cry too hard while singing a song, it becomes nearly impossible to control your pitch or your volume level. This dramatically impacts the quality of your performance. Crying while you sing also makes it hard to control your breathing. However, there are a few techniques to help control crying while singing.

Tips to Prevent Crying While Singing a Song

Sometimes, a singer that is crying during their performance can help the audience connect with the music on a deeper level. However, if the audience is unable to understand the singer, a problem arises. The following tips can be helpful when trying to prevent yourself from crying while singing.

Practice Routine Meditation and Relaxation Techniques

Mediation is a great way to gain control over your emotions. Many people allow their emotions to be bottled up for long periods, which can lead to an emotional outburst at an unexpected moment, such as during a song. Practicing calming meditation techniques can provide you with a way to control your emotions, no matter how strong they may be. Adding meditation with yoga can be doubly beneficial in relieving pent up emotions that overwhelm you while you sing. The simple breathing exercises that meditation teaches can significantly impact your overall Emotional stability.

Take a Quick Break

There is nothing wrong with needing a moment to collect yourself will singing a song. While it is not the best vocal performance practice, taking a small break during your performance can give you a few seconds to put yourself back together on an emotional level. Your audience will probably forgive you for taking a second to get yourself primed to perform.

Address Emotional Issues

If a specific point in a song makes you cry while you are performing, address why you are crying. Allowing deeply seeded emotions to come to light can make a world of difference in how well you are able to control your emotions. If you are not able to overcome the issue, try to avoid thinking directly about it while you are performing. Coming to terms with whatever is causing you to lose emotional control of yourself can prevent you from facing this problem in the future.

Rehearse Continuously

If you rehearse the song that makes you cry while you sing, you are less likely to become emotional when you sing it. Repetitively singing or listening to a song can take away the emotional reaction impact it plays on your ability to stay calm and collected. If you find yourself unable to gain control over your emotions, you should rehearse crying while still singing. If you can’t stop yourself from crying during a song, you should learn to at least make the performance a good one by making sure you are audible. If you practice singing the song that makes you emotional enough times, you might not become emotional while singing it anymore. Try to sing songs that don’t make you cry while you are singing.

Switch Your Focus

Instead of letting your emotions swallow you, try to focus on something else entirely. Focus on a visual item in the room. Train your eyes to look at one thing while you sing to help shut down unwanted emotional outbursts. Don’t focus on the emotions you feel, but instead, focus on the melody of the song. Focus on your singing technique and the key you are singing in. By training your focus to zone in on other details, you are less likely to lose control of your emotions while singing a song.

Control Your Breathing

If you are unable to control your emotions, try to focus on things that you can control, such as your breathing. By spending your energy on controlling your breathing, you might be able to push your feelings aside long enough to finish the performance. Be sure to raise your soft palate to prevent your voice from sounding squeaky. Allow yourself to feel your diaphragm constrict and release as you sing. Simple breathing techniques can go a long way to suppressing tears during the vocal performance of a song.

Don’t Panic

Many people who begin crying during a song in public start to panic or performance anxiety, which only makes matters worse. If you panic, your emotional instability will only get worse as you continue to sing. Force yourself to remain calm and practice calming strategies that are effective for you. Don’t let yourself become overcome by fear or paranoia, which is a common occurrence for people who start crying while singing. If you can’t control what you feel, you should try not to feel anything at all, at least while you are singing.

Crying during a song performance prevents you from shining like the star that you are. Consider adding these tricks to your routine the next time you experience this problem.

Additional Tips:

• Pick a focal point and stay visually connected to it to gain your composure. Regaining your focus is the hardest part of not crying while singing an emotional song.

• Take deep breaths by breathing in through your nose and releasing air through your mouth. This relaxation technique is one that you can do without stopping the song.

• Don’t sing songs that make you feel overly emotional. Opt for songs that are lighthearted and laid back.

• Annunciate your lyrics so that you are focusing all of your attention on your singing.